SCHOLAR RESPONSES:

What leadership roles or volunteer experiences have been important to you during your time at Maryland?

Throughout high school, I have led and/or participated in numerous organizations and activities, while maintaining my academic rigor.

In high school, for example, I was a Spanish teacher’s “Lab Assistant.” While performing in this role I extensively tutored students and mentored students. In this leadership role, some students shared with me personal concerns they were having with their schoolwork, peers, or at home. When called upon, I effectively listened to their conflicts and offered suggestions to them resolve their problems. On various occasions, students later told me that my guidance helped them improve their school and other situations.

As Chairman of “Hispanic Voices,” a Hispanic government student association at my high school, I was well aware of students who struggled as a result of language-barriers, and, in some cases, even those who had difficulties integrating with other cultures. I encouraged these students (and their parents, who likewise struggled from the same situations) to engage in activities slightly outside their comfort zone, while helping them to become involved throughout the school. I additionally invited other organizations to take part in events hosted by Hispanic Voices, in order to develop a sense of community, create friendships, and contribute to long lasting relationships. One of the students in the Hispanic Voices organization, who was previously shy, has since contacted me, and informed me of how, as a result of my reassurance of her abilities and my motivating her, she has joined the high school’s soccer team! I was extremely excited to hear this news, and proud to have effected positive change in her life. I also tutored many of these students, as well as other students of differing socioeconomic backgrounds, when necessary, and emphasized the importance of academic success and determination. I did this by teaching students how to take charge, plan and study efficiently. I led by example and influenced outcomes based upon respect that I have earned from students of every race and culture and at every grade level.

While in high school, I was recruited by members of the faculty to take charge as the organizer and leader of the “Culture Day” event. My school was blessed with the diversity of having students from many countries; therefore this was a huge responsibility. In this event students set up booths and demonstrated performances that exhibit their country of origin or culture. My leadership role included completely planning, organizing, designing, scheduling, and implementing the entire spectrum of activities. This also included designing the room kiosk and performance stage layouts, recruiting help, advertising, leading sound checks and resolving other technical issues, and delegating particular responsibilities between students, teachers and organizations. Additionally, I also managed my own Hispanic/Nicaraguan booth and lead a dance group to perform a Hispanic dance.

Based upon my leadership experiences, I have learned the importance of building strong relationships and respecting and benefiting from the diversity of thought, culture, and expertise enhances the success of any goal.

What has your scholarship meant to you and how has it enabled you to pursue new and exciting opportunities?

To the Donors of the Charles A. Taff Endowed Scholarship, Gene West '54 and Ann West '52 Endowed Family Scholarship, Clifton T. and Jane Story Phillips Scholarship, Omicron Delta Kappa Speakers Fund, and Joseph and Olivia Mattingly Logistics and Transportation Scholarship,

Thank you for your generous investments towards my education. I feel extremely honored and humbled to be recognized and rewarded by these scholarships during my four years at college. Having worked extremely hard to maintain my academic vigor and develop a strong list of accomplishments, I am most grateful to have been selected to receive these scholarships. These scholarships are very meaningful to me, because they are a direct investment into my education as I work to achieve my career goals, enroll in a dual MBA-Juris Doctorate program, and pursue my own business endeavors.

I greatly value my education. However, the cost to pay for college, even for one student, is insurmountable. I am one of three children in a single income household, and will ultimately pay for my entire undergraduate and graduate education. Although my parents would like to assist me in financing my college education, they cannot afford to do so. As a very dedicated and hard worker, and struggling to afford college, I am extremely grateful to receive these scholarships and for your interests in my success! I have and will continue to do everything in my power to earn money while attending school, by working, and hopefully continuing to attain scholarships to pay for my undergraduate and graduate schooling. Presently, I am employed on campus as a Resident Assistant as one way to assist me in financing my college education. I also participated in a paid internship with NASA last summer.

After I am able to repay my parents and become financially stable, I hope to be able to give back to the Robert H. Smith School of Business and provide scholarship assistance to students, such as my scholarship donors have done for me. Thank you for your generosity and investment in my education! I am extremely grateful! I will never forget, and I will work hard to someday be able to help others as you have helped me.

Kind Regards,

Xandria Baleno

How will you make a positive difference in the world?

I will continue to embrace people and diversity and use my intellect, training, talents, experiences, and education to help others and influence positive changes at my school, in the community, in my country, and hopefully, the world.

I will continue to be self-motivated and strive to inspire others to succeed by helping them realize that actively pursuing opportunities, in addition to using their skills and talents, will enable them to reach their goals. In so doing, I am hopeful that this will encourage others to do the same.

After achieving my undergraduate degree, I plan to work and later enroll in a dual MBA-law degree. While continuing my education, I will also work on the side to pursue my own intellectual property and business endeavors. I hope to one day own and manage a non-profit organization that will enable me to help people in need and improve their quality of life.

What is your major, minor, class and graduation year?

I am a Senior. I will graduate May, 2016.

What is your Hometown?

My hometown is Columbia, Maryland.

Tell us about your favorite class, extracurricular activity, academic opportunity, community involvement or another unique experience.

I am honored to have received two Supply Chain Management-related scholarships. Thus, I will share why I chose the supply chain management field as my primary business major. My second major is Information Systems.

I chose the supply chain management field because I find it interesting and exciting. I am intrigued by the operations, logistics, intellectual property and contracting side of business, including customer- and supplier-facing contracting, as well as government contracting. I am also a good communicator, very extroverted, and enjoy hands-on involvement in negotiating and closing the best deals possible. I believe that my communication and leadership skills are qualities that will help me to achieve success in the field of supply chain management.

Additionally, I believe that effective supply chain management is a critical value-adding component to any type of business, as the value added or lost by a company’s supply chain department significantly impacts whether a business succeeds or fails. Supply chain management has become increasingly important in recent years, because it is known to dramatically impact the bottom line in the form of real cost savings and other types of cost avoidances. Supply chain management is integral to improving efficiencies, productivity and speed to market by helping to (1) generate revenue by maintaining a high quality supply line; (2) reduce costs through cost-analysis and negotiation; and (3) create efficiencies, through improved processes and other measures. For these reasons, I consider supply chain management to be at the heart of running nearly any type of successful business. I am eager to learn more about the supply chain management field through hands on negotiation and participation in the contracting process. I look forward to learning more about procurement and how proper supplier and contract management will best add to company shareholder value. Supply chain management intrigues me and I look forward to increasing my knowledge and experience in this field.

Finally, upon enrollment at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), I determined quickly that I wanted to pursue Supply Chain Management. I was pleased and proud to learn that UMD’s Supply Chain Management education program is ranked number seven in the nation, based on the U.S. News &World Report, 2013. Thus, I am delighted to obtain my college education from such a prestigious program. I am also a member of the Supply Chain Management Society executive board, which has provided me great experience and knowledge of the major. My second major, Information Systems, is a highly useful field, which is applicable to all industries. The Information Systems program at the University of Maryland is ranked number six in the nation, and will greatly supplement and compliment my academic pursuits in the field of supply chain management.

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